Library Theory and Research Section

Annual Report 1997-1998

Scope Statement

The Section on Library Theory and Research concerns itself with the continuing development of library and information science through theoretical and applied research in all aspects of the discipline.

The Section:

promotes the importance of investigation and research activities within IFLA's programme;
upholds scientific integrity in research and development activities;
supports the design and investigation of research projects and the reporting and publication of research results within the Library and Information Science Community world-wide.

Goals 1998 - 2001

To encourage and promote research that is designed to improve the quality of Library and Information Science;
To encourage and promote research that builds upon solid theoretical foundations;
To promote the practical application of relevant research findings in Library and Information Science;
To inform researchers in other countries of research in progress;
To develop the profession's collaboration with related research communities in the information field;

To encourage educators in Library and Information Science world-wide to include the training in research in their programmes.

Membership

The Section has 134 members coming from 63 various countries

OFFICERS 1997-1999:

Chair:

Lis Byberg
Oslo College, Faculty of Journalism, Library and Information Science
Pilestredet 52, 0167, Oslo, Norway

Secretary/Treasurer

Mirja IivonenB University of Oulu
Department of Information Studies
POB 111, FIN-90571, Oulu, Finland

Information Co-ordinator

Wilda Newman
Johns Hopkins University
Laurel, MD. 20723-6099 USA

Meetings

The SC meeting took place in Amsterdam, started on Saturday 15th August, 1998, and continued on Friday 21st August. Seven members and four observers attended the meeting. The SC's program for future conferences was discussed. The current situation of the Action Plan was also discussed. The Amsterdam conference was evaluated. The SC developed its Medium Term Plan for 1998-2001.

Projects

The SC has one small project "International library and information science research. Project leaders were Maxine Rochester and Pertti Vakkari. Their article "International LIS research: a comparison of national trends" was published in IFLA Journal, Vol. 24, No 3.

Publications

Maxine Rochester and Pertti Vakkari. (1998). "International LIS research: a comparison of trends. IFLA Journal. vol 24, no. 3.

The section's leaflet was published in October 1997.

Conference Program

The section organised an Open Forum at the 64th IFLA Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 18th August from 8.30 a.m. - 10.50 a.m. About one hundred participants attended. There were two presentations and a lot of discussion. Bob Usherwood presented a paper "New library - new measures: a social audit for public libraries". Romulo Enmark's topic was "The non-existing point. On the subject of defining library and information science and the concept of information".

The section also organised a half day workshop at the Amsterdam conference with the Section of Library Services to Multicultural Populations on Thursday 20th August, from 8.30 - 12.30. The theme of the workshop was "The need for research in multicultural librarianship". The presentations were as follows:

Mirja Iiovnen: Analyzing and understanding cultural differences;
Michele Petit: De la bibliotheque au droit de Cite
Gary E Strong: Nontraditional approaches to serving new Americans;
Kirsten Leth Nielsen: Multicultural library services in Oslo public library;
Kristina Virtanen : Multicultural library: an Internet Nordic co-operation.

There were about 40 participants in the workshop. The workshop managed to establish a good relationship between research and practice in the area of multicultural library services.

Relationships with Other Bodies

The section organised in Amsterdam a half-day workshop with the Section of Library Services to Multicultural Populations (see above).

Other Events

Nothing to report

Author: Mirja Iiovnen
Date: 27 October 1998

Latest Revision: July 08, 2002